Combination wrench and screw driver



March 8, 1949. P. M. ROGERS COMBINATION WRENCH AND SCREW DRIVER Filed Feb. 19, 1946 INVENTOR.

PAUL M. ROGERS Patented Mar. 8, 1949 OFFICE COMBINATION WRENCH AND SCREW DRIVER Paul M. Rogers, Balboa Island, Calif.

, Application February 19, 194.6, Serial No. 648,746

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a combination tool designed to take the place of the conventional screw-driver and socket wrench and has for its principal object the provision of an improved tool wherein the functions of this screw-driver and wrench are combined in a single structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination tool in which the wrench element and the screw-driver element may be both operated simultaneously with a single hand, thus leaving the other hand free to operate any measuring or calibrating equipment which may be required.

The features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood if it is considered in terms of the common operation of set ting an adjustment screw which is held in place by a jam nut. Such a combination of adjustment screw and jam nut is frequently found in the tappet valve adjustment of an internal combustion engine. In present practice the fitting is made by rota-ting the adjustment screw with a screw driver until the proper clearance is obtained as indicated by a feeler gauge which is manipulated with the other hand. Once this is done the gauge is laid aside and the jam nut is tightened with a wrench, while the screw adjustment is held with a screw driver. It is then necessary to put down the wrench and check the clearance with the gauge; an operation which may have to be repeated several times until the proper clearance (as determined by the adjustment screw) and the correct locking action (which results from the rotation of the jam nut) is obtained.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing a combination tool of a design such that a screw-driver bit may be rotated with one motion of the hand while the wrench is manipulated by a diiferent movement of the same hand. In this way, the other hand is left free at all times, which means that either the jam nut or the adjustment screw or both may be rotated together or in any relation one to the other while gauging the setting with the other hand. The result is a more rapid and accurate adjustment of the screw and jam nut.

In accordance with the present invention a socket wrench is provided with a screw-driver bit located centrally within the socket and arranged so that it may be independently driven in either direction by rotation of the grip located on the wrench handle. In this way both the wrench and the screw driver bit may be operated by a single hand.

The invention will be better understood from the following description,.considered in conjunc tion with the accompanying drawing, in which like-numerals denote like parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combination tool embodying-the present invention.

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the tool shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the end portion of the tool looking from the bottom.

The tool shown in the drawing, Figures 1 and 2, comprises a hand grip I0 and a head H which are united by a handle l2. The grip m is arranged telescopically on the handle l2 in such a manner that it may be turned about it.

Located centrally within the hollow handle is a shaft l3 which is rigidly affixed-by welding in the present example--to the grip It. A bevel drive gear I4 is permanently attached (as by Welding) to the opposite end of shaft I3 and is provided with a collar l5 which, being slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of handle 12, functions as a bearing to support the opposite end of shaft [3 which is nevertheless free to rotate within the handle by turning grip HJ. Since gear M is larger than the internal diameter of handle l2 it also serves to prevent grip ID from sliding ofi" the end of the handle since shaft l3 acts as a tie rod.

The opening in the head I I of the tool is fitted with a contoured barrel I6 of hexagonal or other shape which is suitable for gripping a machine nut or similar locking device. Handle 12, hand grip l0 and head I I are the three elements which make up a socket wrench.

In addition, however, there is located within the head II a second bevel gear I! which meshes with and is driven by bevel gear M and is so arranged that its axis of rotation passes centrally through the openin in contoured barrel H5.

The screw-driver portion of the tool comprises a bit IS, a stem E9 of non-circular section which corresponds to the shape of a centrally located opening within gear I7 and is of such clearance that it may be readily moved longitudinally Within the head I l of the tool but because of the shape of its cross-section is keyed to gear I! so that it must rotate with it. The boss 20 at the end of the screw-driver stem serves merely to prevent the screw-driver portion from falling out of the head of the wrench and the widened bit l8 serves a similar function inasmuch as it is wider than the opening in gear IT.

The operation of the tool will be apparent from the above description. In use the head ll of the tool is placed over the jam nut which fits tool as the center of rotation. It is apparent I that either the jam nut or the adjustment screw can be rotated independently of the other and that only one hand is necessary for any combination of movements.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. For example, the contoured barrel It may be removable so that other inserts can be used corresponding to a Wide range of sizes'of jam nuts.

What I claim is:

A combination tool comprising a head, a hol- 4 low handle and a tubular hand grip, the handle being welded to the head, the interior of the head being shaped to serve as a socket wrench, a screwdriver bit located within the head, the longitudinal axis of the head coinciding with the axis of the screwdriver bit and means for rotating the screwdriver bit relative to the head, said means comprising a bevel gear and a shaft located within the hollow handle, said bevel gear being rigidly aflixed to the shaft which is actuated by rotation of the tubular hand grip about the handle and a second bevel gear to which the screwdriver bit is keyed to permit longitudinal movement of the screwdriver bit, the second bevel gear being driven by the first bevel gear.

PAUL M. ROGERS.

REFERENCES ()ITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,389,468 White Aug. 30, 1921 1,463,673 Clase July 31, 1923 1,903,755 Fagan Apr. 18, 1933 2,206,802 Brenning July 2, 1940 

